A large dog once hurt his leg, and a friendly surgeon bandaged it for him.  One night, some months after, the surgeon received a call from his former patient, who brought with him another dog, suffering from a similar accident.  The larger dog introduced his friend as well as he could, and then retired politely to a corner of the room until the operation was over.

Once there was a small fox-terrier named Chip who hurt his foot in some way, and was taken to the doctor for treatment.  Not many weeks later he was found on the doctor’s doorstep, crying to get in.  When the doctor appeared the dog held up his swollen foot with a long thorn in it.  “You helped me before,” he must have thought.  “Do you suppose you can help me now?”

[Illustration:  “Saved” From a Painting by H. Sperling.]

The most useful dog in the world is the collie, or shepherd dog.  Without him the Scotch shepherds would need more men than they could possibly afford to hire.

The collie has had very careful training.  It is a dog’s instinct to chase sheep, but the collie has been taught to take care of them.  He drives the flock to pasture, watches them to see that none strays away, keeps them close together when any danger is near, and brings them home again in safety.

Not long ago a collie was brought from England to this country.  In his new home there was a little girl, three years old.  One day she wandered away through the fields to an open well at some distance from the house.

Her father was on his way home, when he heard the barking of the dog, and knew that something was wrong.  Springing over a stone wall, the man saw his little girl and the dog near the well.  There was a light snow on the ground, and by the rows of tiny footsteps it could be seen that the child had walked round and round the well, and that the faithful dog had walked beside her, keeping always between the edge of the well and his little charge.

When the collie is kindly treated he is the most faithful and devoted of dogs, but he feels very keenly any neglect or harsh words.  Unkindness makes him sullen, and sometimes cross.

Every book about dogs is full of stories of their faithfulness, their intelligence, and their unselfishness.  We have made the dog dependent upon us, and he is too often the victim of our thoughtlessness and cruelty.  Dogs are made happy or unhappy in very much the same ways that children are.  If you are kind to your dog and willing to learn how to take care of him properly, he will probably give you very little trouble.  He will grieve when you scold him, but he will love you faithfully through all kinds of trouble and pain.

 “Forsake not an old friend.”